Chapter 55: Wife‑protecting maniac! One slap leaves Qian Guapu dazed!

The snow tightened again.

Goose-feather-like heavy snowflakes fell thick and fast, as if they wanted to wash the whole world clean again.

Stepping on the thick snow produced a "creak-creak" sound, clear yet dull.

Lu Qingshan held the tightly wrapped Xiao Xue in one arm and protected Lin Yue'e beside him with the other, walking home with uneven steps.

The wind and snow hit his face, bringing knife-like cold, but his heart didn't feel as heavy as when he came.

The ice at his father-in-law's place finally had a crack knocked open; though small, it let light through.

Lin Yue'e's steps became noticeably lighter, and the tense lines on her face relaxed.

Occasionally she glanced sideways at the tall man beside her; her eyes held something indescribable growing quietly, like a tender shoot pushing out from a stone crack after the ice and snow begin to melt.

"My dad… he's just hard‑mouthed but soft‑hearted."

She spoke softly; her voice was scattered a little by the wind, yet it clearly reached Lu Qingshan's ears: "Actually… he also worries about Xiao Xue a lot."

Lu Qingshan rubbed his nose and laughed in the wind and snow.

"I know. Let's hurry back—the snow is getting heavier."

Xiao Xue excitedly held up the candy her grandmother gave her, her little face frozen red, yet she still didn't forget to pull her dad's hand and hop about.

"Dad, does Grandpa like you now?"

Lu Qingshan pinched his daughter's frozen‑red cheek: "Of course, you dad's so awesome—who wouldn't like him?"

Lin Yue'e heard it and couldn't help covering her mouth to laugh, her eyes bright; in the reflected snowlight, a long‑absent tenderness flowed through her.

Lu Qingshan's expression also relaxed.

This trip finally yielded a good result; his father‑in‑law's ice mountain hadn't completely melted, but at least a crack had opened on the surface, giving both sides a way to back down.

Only, the poison‑tipped eyes of Lin Yueqiang in the inner room were like a thorn, pricking his heart and causing a faint ache.

This little brother‑in‑law is probably even harder to deal with.

Returning home, he pushed open the familiar wooden door; a warm current mixed with firewood scent and food aroma rushed over him, instantly dispelling the chill all over his body.

In the stove pit a few embers still glowed—those were the firewood Lu Qingshan had specially loaded before departure, and fortunately the water in the pot hadn't boiled dry.

Lu Qingshan hurriedly brushed snow off his wife and daughter, shaking off the snow beads from their cotton clothes.

Wooh! Woo-woo!

A sudden burst of barking drew the attention of the three.

Only to see Jin Hu stagger to his feet, his hind leg still a bit lame, yet he walked firmly toward them.

Especially upon seeing Xiao Xue, he wagged his tail excitedly, letting out a low whine and rubbing his head against her legs nonstop.

"Jin Hu can walk now!"

Xiao Xue was overjoyed, crouching down to hug Jin Hu's neck.

Lu Qingshan also felt surprised; yesterday's kick wasn't light—normally such a little guy would be laid up for days.

He crouched down to examine carefully, and also used Mountain Wild Heart to sense.

Instantly he felt a tenacious life force within Jin Hu rapidly repairing the injury; the healing speed far surpassed that of an ordinary village dog—indeed, it was the blood of the Erlun Chun Hunting Dog!

"This little guy, his vitality is truly strong."

Lu Qingshan rubbed Jin Hu's head; the little fellow let out two contented whines, "Seems I didn't spoil you for nothing."

Lin Yue'e watched the scene of a person and a dog being affectionate, a smile appearing on her face; she hurried to the stove to boil water, preparing dinner.

Just then, Village Chief Zhao Yongnian came to the door, saying the township police station had called, asking Lu Qingshan to come tomorrow to give a detailed statement about Ma Liu's home‑invasion robbery.

The village chief also said the heavy snow made the roads bad, so he could take the village's donkey cart.

Lu Qingshan hurriedly thanked him and saw the village chief out of the yard.

Lin Yue'e heard it and her heart immediately went into turmoil; the worry she had just set aside rose again.

Lu Qingshan gently held her hand: "Don't be afraid, it's a good thing. State the facts clearly so Ma Liu and his gang get the punishment they deserve."

Early morning, the snowy road was slippery.

Lu Qingshan went to Zhao Laonian's house to borrow the village donkey cart, hurrying toward the town.

At the police station, the officers' attitude was indeed very courteous, the questioning went smoothly—obviously Chen Zhiguo had given them a heads‑up beforehand.

Lu Qingshan gave a detailed account of what happened; the police recorded it carefully and finally patted his shoulder, reassuring him.

They said Ma Liu and his crew were suspected of home‑invasion robbery and intentional injury, the evidence was solid, and they would surely be dealt with severely.

This year, they definitely won't be allowed to spend it at home.

Leaving the police station, the sky was already growing dim.

Lu Qingshan drove the donkey cart back home, feeling much more at ease.

Returning to the village commune, it was still light out.

After returning the donkey cart to the village, Lu Qingshan walked home with uneven steps.

Just as he reached the old pagoda tree at the village entrance, he heard a sharp, venomous remark and the cackling of several women, especially jarring in the quiet snowy night.

"... If you ask me, Lin Yue'e isn't anything good either!"

"A grown man who's never home all year, his house dirt‑poor, how could someone like Ma Liu just show up at her place for no reason?"

"It's just that she herself is improper, fooling around with others…"

The speaker was none other than the village's notorious gossip, Qian Guapu, whose saliva flew as she spoke, growing more heated.

A few women who usually got along with her also chimed in, adding fuel to the fire, their words utterly obscene.

In an instant, a cold fury surged from Lu Qingshan's heart to his head! His blood seemed to freeze in a moment, then boil the next.

He abruptly stopped, turned around, his eyes cold as icicles in the twelfth lunar month, and stepped toward the gossiping women.

Qian Guapu was speaking animatedly when she suddenly saw Lu Qingshan's grim, water‑dripping face; she jumped back half a step instinctively.

But relying on the crowd around her, and the fact that she'd long bullied the Lu family, she steadied herself, stuck out her neck, and shouted: "Lu the leper! What are you staring at? Did I say something wrong? A fly doesn't bite a seamless egg! You can't even guard your own home, yet you blame others…"

She hadn't finished speaking——

「Pa!!! 」

A crisp, loud slap rang out like a thunderclap in the silent snowy night!

Lu Qingshan struck with lightning speed—no one could see how he moved—and his palm‑leaf‑fan‑sized hand landed solidly on Madame Qian's face!

The tremendous force spun Madame Qian halfway around on the spot; with a 'Plop!' she fell face‑first into the snow like a torn sack.

She cried out in pain, half her face swelling visibly fast, and blood appeared at the corner of her mouth.

She covered her face, dazed, her head ringing, unable to get up for a while.

The surroundings fell instantly silent!

The few women who had just been jeering turned deathly pale, each like a chicken with its neck choked, not daring to breathe, staring in terror at Lu Qingshan as if seeing him for the first time.

Even the villagers watching from afar under the old pagoda tree were stunned, instinctively shrinking back.